THE Sharks have opened up an unassailable lead at the top of the Ovens and Murray water polo competition.

Strong games by Shannon Gould and Taylor Miller and a dominant 5-1 final quarter were the key to a 15-8 win against Albury Tigers on Sunday.

The Sharks are now 14 points clear of the Pool Pirates, with the gap between the second and fourth sides now just eight points.

Sharks captain Matt Hogan said Sunday’s win would have been even more comfortable had they taken their chances.

“It was strong performance but we certainly didn’t take advantage of our opportunities,” he said.

“No one can really relax at the moment with the past four or five rounds throwing up a mixed bag of results.

“Despite a strong showing at the NSW Country Championships you would not have expected the Stingrays to beat Pool Pirates at the weekend.

“You just have to keep turning up and being on your game in this competition.”

Hogan said representative games and state titles would also influence the finals.

“In the next month we have the final two home and away games and in between them we have the Victorian Country Club Championships this weekend on the Border and another week off later in the month for the regional championships.”